FORMER Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson will leave skint Bari – only six months after his switch from the Hoops.
The Italian side, who lost in the promotion play-offs, missed yesterday’s deadline to register for Serie B after failing to meet the financial requirements.
Bari will now be declared bankrupt after failing to prove they had the financial backing to continue in the professional ranks.
Henderson could become a free agent if the club is forced to scrap the players’ contracts.
The ex-Celtic playmaker agreed a deal that should have kept him at the side until 2020 and he was also reported to be a £2million target for Serie A outfit Fiorentina.
Parma have been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old, but they, too, face sanctions due to allegations of match-fixing.
Earlier this month, Henderson trained with Hibs where he had a successful loan spell and helped them win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years following their 3-2 win over Sevco Rangers in 2016.
Mayor Antonio Decaro said: “This is a bad day, not only for football in Bari, but for the whole city.
“It’s a day of defeat, which burns 1,000 times more than any defeat on the pitch. We tried everything possible, I perhaps even went beyond my remit as a mayor. I did it as a citizen and also as a fan.
“We have to keep working with all our strength because football in Bari cannot end on this July afternoon. The city doesn’t deserve it and the fans don’t deserve it.”
